Definition
Waham (inward conversation with Allah) is spiritual power. It means awakening the senses of the soul, which in turn strengthens its powers. We all know that this physical being is abode of the soul. Or in other words, this soul is the reason that man is existing. And the body made of four elements is the dress of the soul in order to protect it in this material world. It is also to recognize an individual. Allah has granted the physical being strength to hear, speak, see and feel. Similarly, He granted soul with senses and powers. However, when a soul arrives this world, eventually the physical existence brings it down. Because, man drives his attention towards the needs and wants of the physical self. Eventually, he subdues and weighs downs the senses of soul by neglecting it.
Soul is the Inward of Human Body
Shaikh-e-Akbar Mohiyuddin Ibn Arabi says:
The outward of human beings is their physical body while their inward is the soul. Body is something entirely different from the soul, although we treat the referred person as one entity. Now, if we only nourish the body and neglect soul, ultimately the body will get healthier and the soul weaker. The animal instincts of the material body will dominate the Divine qualities of soul. However, if we nourish the soul (through the invocation and contemplation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat), its Divine attributes will dominate. Thus, the bestial qualities of the body will subjugate. (Exegesis of Fusus al-Hikam)
How to strengthen the inward?
A seeker attains spiritual strength by the attention of the perfect and accomplished spiritual guide. Who then blesses the invocation and contemplation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat. Altogether, this blesses a new life to the soul, thus, awakening all its senses. It gains the strength to reach the realm of Divinity (alam-e-LaHoot) which is the station beyond time and space. There it beholds Allah Almighty and converses with Him. The terminology of Faqr refers this spiritual blessing as waham.
Reference in Quran
In Quran and Hadith proofs are available as to waham. Allah Almighty says:
وَمَا کَانَ لِبَشَرٍ اَنْ یُّکَلِّمَہُ اللّٰہُ اِلَّا وَ حْیًا اَوْمِنْ وَّرَآیِٔ حِجَابٍ اَوْیُرْسِلَ رَسُوْلًا فَیُوْحِیْ بِاِذْنِہٖ مَایَشَآئُ ؕ اِنَّہٗ عَلِیٌّ حَکِیْمٌ
Meaning: And every man has not (this) faculty that Allah speaks to him directly. Except that by Revelation (wahi directly sent to the Prophets) or from behind the veil. Or by sending some angel as a messenger to reveal with His permission what Allah may will. Surely, He is the Highest and the Wisest. (42:51)
Revelation and sending of an angel have ended upon the last Prophet Mohammad. However, the medium of “from behind the veil” continues to date. This is how Allah converses withFakirs and Mystics. In this verse ‘veil’ means the physical body through which one observes Mystics busy in worldly endeavours. While behind the physical body, lies their soul which is always talking to Allah.
Bayazid Bastami has said,
“I have been conversing with Allah for forty years. However, the people have been misunderstanding as if, I am talking to them.”
Reference from Hadith
The Holy Prophet said about the beneficence of waham;
مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ اِلَّا وَسَیُکَلِّمُہٗ رَبُّہٗ لَیْسَ بَیْنَ الْعَبْدِ وَالرَّبِّ تَرْجُمَانٌ وَلَا وَاسِطَۃٌ
Meaning: Every believer (Mumin) would converse with Allah. And at that time, there would neither be any interpreter nor any intermediator between Allah and His slave. (Which means they would talk directly). (Bukhari,Muslim)
Reference by Sultan Bahoo
Sultan Bahoo has elaborated on the blessing of waham in many of his written works. In fact, he dedicated a book to waham titled as Sultan-ul-Waham. He says:
- O dear! waham is in fact the seeing, hearing, speaking and understanding of the soul. (Sultan-ul-Waham)
- Prophet Moses used to go to Mount Sinai to converse with Allah. But for the true followers of Prophet Mohammad, their own being is like Mount Sinai. Thus, they converse with Allah nearer to their jugular vein. Also, they get answers from their Holy Lord through invocation and Divine presence. (Kaleed-ul-Tauheed Kalan)
- The men of Divine presence get inspirations through waham which comes from Divinity. As soon as they enter the state of waham, Allah reveals the solution of their problem upon them. Thus, solving it at once. Also, He exposes the reality of every hidden and evident thing upon them through waham. (Kaleed-ul-Tauheed Kalan)
Reference by Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib-ur-Rehman also talks about waham in his book Shams ul Fuqara. He says:
- In the terminology of Faqr, waham points to a particular state of the seeker of Allah. The state in which he gets answers from the court of Allah Almighty. He gets answers about whatever queries he faces, in both his outward (zahir) and spiritual self (batin). In other words, waham means having conversation with Allah Almighty.
- Prophet Moses title is Kalimullah meaning the one who converses with Allah. He used to visit Mount Sinai at a specific time and offer two units of supererogatory prayer after ablution. After that he get attentive towards Allah Almighty. Then, in a short time, an aura of engrossment enveloped him and his conversation with Allah started. Even today, Fakirs and Mystics (Arifeen) focus their attention towards Allah and converse with Him.
- The spiritual journey of waham is a great status in the path of Faqr. A seeker attains it after the Divine presence. This is the blessing which takes the seeker to the station of annihilation in Allah.
How to achieve Waham?
Waham is the blessing of conversation with Allah. One can achieve it only by the beneficence of the perfect and accomplished spiritual guide. It is after he sanctifies the soul, thus spiritually blessing and strengthening the internal senses of the seeker. In short, waham is not possible without the spiritual attention of perfectly accomplished spiritual guide. This is the reason why such a spiritual guide is also called Sultan-ul-Waham (meaning the king of waham).As Sultan Bahoo said:
- O dear! This way begins and ends by the blessing of the perfect spiritual guide. As said:
اَلشَّیْخُ اَبْلَغُ فِیْ ھٰذِہِ الطَّرِیْقُ مِنْ کُلِّ شَیْئٍ
Meaning: Only the Shaikh (spiritual guide) is aware of ups and downs of this way.
A perfect spiritual guide is One with Allah and always converse with Allah. The sign of such guide is that he opens the inward way of the disciple as well. Thus, leading him towards the spiritual world of waham. Then, the disciple covers the spiritual journey inwardly according to his capability and courage and finds the eternal bliss. Here, opening the inward way actually means giving life to the dark inward and the soul. As said about the spiritual guide:
اَلشَّیْخُ یُحْیٖ وَیُمِیْتُ
Meaning: The Shaikh (spiritual guide) gives life (to the soul) and death (to the inciting innerself).
Significance of Waham
A perfect spiritual guide enlivens his disciple’s soul by his spiritual authority through waham and permanent invocation of Allah. He does it in such a way that he leaves no breath of the disciple without the invocation of Allah. Thus, eternally connecting him with Allah through waham and then keeping him in this state forever. Such disciple gains an enlightened insight with which he can view all the spiritual worlds. As his spiritual guide has now ever blessed him with the vision of the Divine beauty. The Holy Prophet who is the perfect spiritual guide for everyone, points towards the life of the soul or inward. He (peace be upon him) said:
رَاْیِٔ قَلْبِیْ رَبِّیْ
Meaning: My inward (qalb) viewed my Holy Lord.
The following saying of Prophet David also gives the same meanings:
اُوْحِیَ بِرُؤْیَتِیْ اللّٰہِ تَعَا لٰی اَنْظَرِیْ مَعْرِفَتْنِیْ قُلْتُ لَاَرُؤْ یَتُ قَالَ قَلْبِکَ فِیْ شَاھِدَتِیْ وَبِرُ ؤْ یَتِیْ
Meaning: Allah descended a revelation upon me and asked, “Did you have My vision and get My gnosis?” I replied, “No”. Allah said, “Your inward views Me, you can also have My vision inside you.” (Sultan-ul-Waham)
Waham is a Way of Accession towards Allah
Just as in this material world, man progress rapidly in science and electronical media. Similarly, Allah is also revolutionizing the inward and spiritual world. If materialistic people think that the spiritual world is static with no progress and change, then they are in ignorance. Allah made the spiritual world faster paced and more scientific than the physical world. To such an extent that the common man cannot perceive it. The proof is the Holy Prophet’s ascension to Allah in the night of Meraj and the Quranic revelations. The saying of the Holy Prophet “ اَلصَّلٰوۃُ مِعْرَاجُ الْمُؤْمِن ” (meaning: Salat is the ascension of believer) towards Allah is sufficient proof that proximity, vision and conversation with Allah is possible. Just the way the Holy Prophet accomplished on the night of ascension.
A believer can achieve the strength and beneficence of waham through the medium of the perfect and accomplished spiritual guide. The imperfect guides do not have the strength of waham, hence keeps their disciples void of this beneficence. As they do not have the required strength they tend to call this blessing among impossibilities. Consequently, they misguide people by saying that it is not achievable. Although the proof is available in Quran, Hadith and saying of Saints. It is true that the spiritual leaders in the history did not allow to openly talk about this beneficence.
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen blesses the Beneficence of Waham
On account of the spiritual exaltation and excellence of Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen, the court of Allah Almighty and the Mohammadan Assembly specifically granted this permission to him. They granted him the permission of this beneficence, after passing him through extreme spiritual and physical struggles. Just so, he can welfare the Muslim nation.
Thus, Sultan ul Ashiqeen, with his spiritual attention takes them out of the weakness they have so long dwelled in. It is through the medium of the perfect and accomplished spiritual guide that seekers achieve this Divine proximity. Because of which their spiritual eyes can behold Allah, spiritual ears can hear Him and spiritual tongue converses with Him. In waham, the seeker through Divine conversation comes to know what Allah wants from him. Then, it no longer remains difficult to make his every action in accordance to the orders of Allah. Certainly, this is the key to the straight path.
We have no qualms in claiming that in this deceptive age only the sacred being of Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen grants waham. No one else has the capability and the spiritual strength to bestow this beneficence upon his disciples. If anyone else claims it then he is a liar and boastful.
Waham is Particular for Qadri Disciple Only
About the disciple of Sarwari Qadri order, Sultan Bahoo said:
“A disciple of other orders may spend his whole life in mystic struggle and exhaust himself in hard devotional exercises. Yet, he cannot reach even the level of the lowest ranked Qadri disciple. As, for a Qadri disciple, the mystic struggle grants him energy and nourishment, while sleep grants him the Divine observation. For the follower of this way hunger and satiation are the same just as, sleeping and awakening are alike. Likewise, his spiritual ecstasy and vigilance are equal and speech and silence are the same”. (Ganj-ul-Asrar)
Disciple of Qadri Way Converses with Allah
Sultan Bahoo continues in his book Ganj-ul-Asrar;
“Common people think about the men of Qadri way that they are talking to them. However, they are in fact continuously conversing with Allah, His Prophet Mohammad and al-Ghawth al-Azam Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani. They eat the food of this world (i.e. physically live in this material world). While, perform the deeds of that (spiritual) world. Also, their attention, sight, inspiration and thoughts are completely related to the Divine union. Hence, their reality can never be known and understood by the spiritually blind and distracted ones. The Qadri way rules both the worlds because it leads to the level of Fakir annihilated and immortal with Allah. However, the Qadri Fakir achieves all this through the contemplation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat. That’s why he is titled as the lion, the king and the man of Divine secrets”. (Ganj-ul-Asrar)
Sultan Bahoo mentioned another key point in Ain-ul-Faqr:
The Sarwari Qadri way is very beneficent and courageous. In the other mystic ways, the blaze of Ism-e-Allah Zaat burnt some seekers to death. While, others could not bear the burden of Ism-e-Allah Zaat and retreated. In addition to that, some apostatized, which in turn cursed them. (Ain-ul-Faqr)
Use of Waham
Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen has blessed many of the seekers of Allah with the inspired knowledge through his marvel and power of waham. These seekers use this knowledge to preach and invite towards gnosis of Allah. Also, they have written many books and articles for the magazine Sultan-ul-Faqr. Such efforts of his disciples are like a beckon of light for the seeker of Allah’s gnosis. Additionally, he has blessed many of his seekers with ilm-e-dawat (inward communication with the sacred souls of shrines). Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen guides his disciples through his power of waham in the spiritual world as well. So that, they remain well-mannered in that subtle and real world in the court of sacred personalities. And thus, remain on the straight path.
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